Four indicted for attacking Muhabbat-e-Sindh Rally in 2012

Suspects belonging to MQM had allegedly killed six people

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) framed charges on Thursday against four suspected target killers of a political party in the case of an attack on a rally five years ago.

Amir Ali alias Sir Phatta, Pervez Iqbal, Sarwar Qureshi and Faisal alias Mama, belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were indicted as the police filed an amendment charge sheet against them for their alleged role in the attack that claimed lives of six people and wounded nine.

The Muhabbat-e-Sindh Rally was organised in Lyari on May 22, 2012 by Ayaz Latif Palijo's Awami Tehreek and other parties and groups, mainly those opposing the MQM. The rally was planned to terminate at the Karachi Press Club but when it reached near Napier Road, it was attacked by gunmen who indiscriminately fired at the participants. Apart from the casualties, vehicles were also set ablaze in the aftermath.



While conducting the trial inside the prison, the ATC-VI judge read the charges to the accused and they pleaded not guilty. The court then issued notice to the prosecution to bring witness on record and initiate the trial on next hearing fixed for August 16.

Amir was arrested along with other MQM workers when the Rangers conducted a pre-dawn raid on March 11, 2015 at the MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, in Azizabad. The other three suspects were arrested later in the last year.

When Amir was in remand in the prison, the police filed an initial interrogation report that claimed that he had confessed to taking part in the attack and further said that it was carried out on the orders of then MQM's Karachi Tanzimi Committee chief Hammad Siddiqui.



The case has been registered at Kharadar police station under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code and sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.